Jools Holland

Born in Blackheath, southeast London, in 1958, Jools Holland began his career in the late 1970s as a founding pianist of Squeeze alongside Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, before developing a solo path centered on piano, rhythm and blues and boogie‑woogie. His playing, rooted in the traditions of blues, swing and rock'n'roll, combines quick phrasing, a prominent role for brass and arrangements close to big‑band formats. After an initial spell in Squeeze until 1980 and a return in the mid‑1980s, Jools Holland pursued his own projects and firmly established the Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, a large ensemble with which he regularly tours the UK and Europe. His discography under his own name includes notably Sex & Jazz & Rock & Roll (1991), The A‑Z Geographer's Guide to the Piano (1996) and Small World Big Band (2001). Alongside his work on stage, Jools Holland has also worked in British music television, first with The Tube in the 1980s and then with Later... with Jools Holland from 1992, while collaborating with artists from pop, soul, blues and rock.